2024 Message from the Dean

This has been a dynamic year marked by new areas of growth and collaborations. The stories featured in our newest report reflect our achievements and demonstrate how our community continues to lead the way in promoting social, racial, and economic justice.

Improving mental health and well-being remains a top priority for our School. This report highlights just a few of our interdisciplinary and multi-university initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. These efforts underscore our commitment to understanding and addressing the complex mental health challenges that are often overlooked.

On the global front, we are seizing new opportunities to advance our global strategic plan. Strengthening our partnerships with international scholars and agencies is essential to addressing global mental health challenges and broader issues of social and economic vulnerability–from building financial resilience to combatting labor trafficking. We are inspired by our students and alumni, who are making significant strides in empowering vulnerable populations through support and advocacy around the world.

Closer to home, we remain focused on addressing critical social issues like child neglect, violence prevention, and income and housing support. Much of our work this year has centered on enhancing data-driven practice and training. Through our improved workforce development programs, we are striving to create more resilient and supportive systems. These initiatives not only meet immediate needs but also lay the groundwork for long-term solutions to systemic problems.

I look forward to building on this momentum in the coming year. To our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners—thank you for your dedication and for making our School a respected center of education, innovation, and impact.

Ben Lough
Dean and Professor